Thursday, December 07, 2017

The Patriots moved to 10-2 on the season and climbed to four games ahead of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The Patriots can clinch the AFC East next week as they travel to Hard Rock Stadium to face the Miami Dolphins again next week for the second time in three weeks. Before looking into that match-up, here is one last look back at the win over Buffalo with three observations about the New England running game, the right tackle position, and the best player in the secondary over the past three weeks:

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Get ready for NFL Week 13 as my good friend David Kromelow has me on his fantastic Sports Krunch Podcast again to go around the league and talk about all the big news and the big games coming up on Thursday, Sunday and Monday around the league:

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Get everything you need to know before the 3-2 New England Patriots take on the 3-2 New York Jets in a battle for first place in the AFC East. W2W4 breaks down all the key match-ups on both sides of the ball.

While the Jets were expected to tank in 2017, a young and exciting defense has given the entire team a huge boost. Rookies Marcus Maye and Jamal Adams are already one of the top safety tandems in the NFL after just five weeks and defensive end Leonard Williams is one of the best players at his position. Can the Patriots passing offense score on this unit? Can New England's struggling running attack move the chains against a Jets defense struggling to stop the run? Who does the depleted cornerbacks corp for New England have to slow down? Can the Jets join the ranks of teams running wild on the Patriots defense?

Get ready for the New England Patriots' Sunday afternoon match-up with the surprising New York Jets and their up-and-coming defense. With dynamic young defensive players like safeties Marcus Maye and Jamal Adams, linebackers Darron Lee and Jordan Jenkins, and defenisve end Leonard Williams it could be a tough test for the Patriots offense.

Find out why the Patriots will win; How they could lose; Who needs to step-up; What is the hidden key to the game; and my game prediction of what is going to happen in the game.

The New England Patriots are a disappointing 3-2 after many predicted an undefeated regular season; The New York Jets are a surprising 3-2 after many predicted a regular season where they would not win a single game. Instead, the two teams are tied for first place in the AFC East heading into week six.

Can New England get pressure against a weak Jets offensive line? Will Rob Gronkowski have a big game coming back from injury? Who covers the Jets young tight end and receiving running back for the Patriots? Is Malcolm Butler under pressure with Eric Rowe and Stephon Gilmore both out.

Each week the game comes down to the match-ups. These are the top 5 matchups that will determine which team emerges victorious.

Thursday, October 05, 2017

Get ready for the New England Patriots' Thursday night match-up with the up-and-coming Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With dynamic young offensive players like QB Jameis Winston, WR Mike Evans, RB Doug Martin and TE O.J. Howard it is another tough test for the Patriots defense.

Find out why the Patriots will win; How they could lose; Who needs to step-up; What is the hidden key to the game; and my game prediction of what is going to happen in the game.

Every week it comes down to the match-ups...and there are five intriguing match-ups to watch on Thursday night as the New England Patriots travel to visit the dangerous Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Can the Patriots slow Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy? Will the dynamic duo of Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson continue the trend of lighting-up the Patriots' secondary. How does New England slow the two-tight end offense of Tampa Bay? Of course, how does Tampa Bay cover Gronk with their two best coverage linebackers injured? And get your popcorn because veteran CB Brent Grimes going against Brandin Cooks is going to be a great battle.

Read on to learn all about these key match-ups and more and get ready for the Thursday night game.

Sunday, October 01, 2017

This week there is yet another mobile quarterback for New England Patriots to attempt to try and contain. Cam Newton brings another dimension to the struggle to contain him due to his size. However, Dont’a Hightower could return to give a big boost to the beleaguered New England defense after he missed the last two games with a knee injury.

This is one of a number of factors that will go into whether the Patriots will win, whether Carolina will pull the upset, who needs to step up for New England, what one of the hidden factors that could impact the game, and what will actually happen on Sunday.

Saturday, September 30, 2017

The New England Patriots are 2-1 but all is not well in Foxboro. The offense is struggling to run the football and the defense is struggling to stop anyone. However, the Patriots have the most prolific passing offense in the NFL helmed by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady. What to Watch For (W2W4) at Scout Media will get you ready for the Patriots match-up against the Carolina Panthers.

Get ready for the New England Patriots​ and the Carolina Panthers game on Sunday with the five key match-ups to watch. Can the Patriots continue their winning ways or will their porous defense allow the Panthers to pull the upset in Foxboro? Will Tom Brady have to rally the Patriots to victory again against one of the top defenses in the NFL? Find out here:

Each week in the NFL the game comes down to which team wins the match-ups between the white lines. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Rob Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks. Adrian Peterson , Malcolm Butler, Cameron Jordan, Kenny Vaccaro, and Michael Thomas are the stars whose ability to make big plays will decide the game on Sunday. Read on to find out the top 5 match-ups between the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints which will determine which team emerges victorious on Sunday afternoon.

Thursday, September 07, 2017

The New England Patriots face-off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night to kick-off the 2017 NFL season. There are five key match-ups that will determine who wins when the Patriots host the Chiefs. Read about those 5 Key Match-ups to Watch here at Cover32.com:

The New England Patriots face a tough opponent to open the 2017 season when the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs visit Gillette Stadium on the Thursday night NFL kick-off. Read everything you need to know about the match-up in Scout.com's W2W4:

Friday, July 28, 2017

The 2017 NFL Season marks the tenth anniversary of the 2007 New England Patriots–often considered one of the best NFL teams of all time. The Patriots became the first (and only team to date) to go 16-0 in the regular season. The offense put up a then-record 589 points (36.8 points per game average) while the aging defense was good enough to finish fourth in the NFL. Allowing just 17.1 points per game.Read more at http://cover32.com/2017/07/23/the-2007-patriots-part-10-super-bowl-xlii/#JHhQw08MpAbtuTpJ.99

Thursday, May 18, 2017

The New England Patriots didn't just retain their top players on offense, they upgraded via trades, free agency, and the 2017 NFL Draft. Is this offense deep and explosive enough to be the best offense in team history or will injuries or the offensive line derail their plan to defend their Super Bowl title?

Monday, May 15, 2017

The New England Patriots added to their strong defense via trades, free agency, and the 2017 NFL Draft this offseason. Have the Patriots done enough to supplement the explosive offense and defend their Super Bowl title?

Sunday, April 30, 2017

With only four-total selections in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Patriots set a modern-era record of fewest selections for a defending champion. With a dizzying number of moves pre-draft with trades. Once they Patriots got to day two and day three, the trades continued. The Cover32.com recap and review breaks down all the moves made by the Patriots.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

The New England Patriots have been extremely busy this offseason. However, they still have some holes to fill on offense in the upcoming NFL Draft. Here are the needs by position and moves that need to be made on offense.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The New England Patriots have had a great offseason, but that doesn’t mean their work is done. Despite all the signings and wheeling and dealing, there are still moves to be made by New England to improve their roster. Here are the needs by position and moves to be made on defense:

Friday, April 14, 2017

All of New England was abuzz after ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that long-time Minnesota Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson was visiting Foxboro recently. Peterson left New England without a contract but with him still unsigned, there are many fans imagining a future Hall-of-Fame running back lining up behind Tom Brady.

Of course, signing Peterson makes little sense for the Patriots.

First, there are all the off-field issues to deal with. It won’t happen as long as Bob Kraft owns the team. In fact, forget all the off-field problems. The Kraft family would never seriously consider him after his suspension for much of the 2014 season, being charged with child abuse.

Although the Patriots have taken a chance on malcontents Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Albert Haynesworth, Chad Johnson, Donte Stallworth (he was signed again in 2012 three years after being suspended the 2009 season for DUI manslaughter) and even LeGarrette Blount, the Krafts have been outspoken on violence against women (and child abuse is certainly as bad an offense).

Even if the front office, ownership and the rest of the organization can get past this, Adrian Peterson is not a fit for the New England Patriots on the field.

Read more at http://cover32.com/2017/04/12/adrian-peterson-answer-patriots/#9gfYKCiByiRJXQs5.99

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

One more year of Malcolm Butler at a discount rate is a solid play for the Patriots. His role is likely less on the outside and more in the slot this season with Gilmore and Rowe in place on the edge. Jones should bounce-back in year two and eventually replace Butler after this season.

As much as Malcolm Butler has given to New England in his time here, expect 2017 to be the last New England fans see the fan-favorite in the red, white and blue.

Read more at http://cover32.com/2017/04/04/malcolm-butler-last-season-new-england/

Sunday, March 26, 2017

With two Super Bowl victories in three years and 14 of the last 16 AFC East titles (including eight consecutive), the Patriots remain the cream of their division. However, the Miami Dolphins (a playoff team last year), the New York Jets (double-digit victories in 2015), and the Buffalo Bills (in the playoff hunt the past three seasons) have not sat quietly. But have they done enough to end the New England Patriots’ stranglehold on the AFC East? Can they end the eight year run of consecutive AFC East championships? Is there a legitimate contender to the Patriots in the AFC East this season? Let’s check-in on the competition in the AFC East and catch-up with what each team has done to try and catch the Patriots in 2017.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The New England Patriots have made a number of moves in free agency and via trades to improve their Super Bowl championship roster. However, there is still work to do be done before next season begins. After all the moves so far this offseason, the Patriots are still in the market for a lead running back, interior offensive line help, possibly a backup quarterback, cornerback depth, and an edge rusher. Resetting the New England Patriots’ post-free agency needs - Cover32

Friday, March 17, 2017

The New England Patriots have taken the Bill Belichick creed of "No Days Off" to heart this offseason re-upping key players on defense and adding key players in free agency and via trade to upgrade a team coming off a Super Bowl victory. Here is a recap of all the moves made, who was allowed to leave, and what's next.New England Patriots: Reviewing the Offseason Moves

Saturday, February 04, 2017

The New England Patriots will win or lose in Super Bowl 51 against the Atlanta Falcons based on whether they can win the individual matchups on both sides of the ball. Whether the New England secondary can control Julio Jones from making big plays, if the Patriots quartet of pass rushers can disrupt quarterback Matt Ryan, whether Atlanta's edge rushers can create pressure, if Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan can expose the inexperienced Atlanta secondary, and more will determine who is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Get ready for Sunday night as the New England Patriots play in a record sixth consecutive AFC Championship game. The Patriots welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to Foxboro to battle for the right to play in Super Bowl 51.

The game will determined by the key players--whether superstar or unknown player--in the key matchups. Here are the top five matchups to match which will determine if the Patriots or the Steelers represent the AFC in Houston in two weeks.

It is time for all New England Patriots fans to put aside their ridiculous hatred of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Since the 2014 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts when the entire “deflategate” saga began, New England Patriots fans and the local media have made Roger Goodell “Public Enemy Number One” throughout New England.

While there has been no doubt that there is plenty of evidence from the past two years that the NFL league offices do not care for the continued success of the New England Patriots, the New England Patriots fans have a bad case of misplaced anger.

Whether it has been ESPN and Sports Illustrated providing the information, it is clear that many NFL league owners have pressured Goodell into severely punishing the Patriots as a make up for not punishing them severely enough for the so-called Spygate incident.

Although the Patriots have lost two first-round draft picks in punishment for these so-called cheating scandals, these penalties imposed upon them by the other 31 owners has done little to slow the success of the team for the past decade-and-a-half.

Should Patriots fans be upset about the investigation be handed to someone who allegedly walked up to a Patriots employee during the AFC Championship game against the Colts and basically betrayed his bias against New England? Sure.

Turning on Goodell, however, the Patriots’ fans and media’s anger towards a figurehead just seems as if it severely misplaced.

Roger Goodell does his job well as NFL commissioner. There is no doubt about it. His job is to carry out the will of the majority of the 32 NFL owners--nothing more nothing less. The number one rule is to make them a ton of money and he has done that during his tenure.

I truly believe that he considers himself a close personal friend of Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his son Jonathan Kraft. I believe the Krafts when they have indicated repeatedly that Roger Goodell is doing a good job for the NFL.

Goodell has the money keeps flowing to the owners. He has been a figurehead and public protector of the 32 owners he reports to. He has done that.

If New England Patriots fans are angry still about deflategate (This article at MMQB by Albert Breer is a great summary of why the Patriots fans are still angry about deflategate), this weekend is a great opportunity to get upset at one of the true villains in this saga: the PIttsburgh Steelers and the Rooney Family.

During the entire two years of malarky about footballs losing air pressure in the cold (a lesson I learned living in Southeast Massachusetts and leaving my football outside in late fall as an eight-year old but the NFL was strangely unaware of after 80 or so years of operation), it was clear the NFL wanted to punish New England.

The always plugged in Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk indicated at one point “NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is being pushed by a small handful of influential owners to hold firm on the four-game suspension.”

Anyone want to guess who is the MOST INFLUENTIAL owner in the NFL? The NFL franchise owners who wield the most power behind the scenes? Who regularly wields Roger Goodell like a marionette?

Anyone with any knowledge of how the NFL operates knows that the Rooney family has owned the Pittsburgh Steelers for generations and been the power-brokers of the NFL. Which franchise is threatening their record of dominance and Super Bowl wins? Who has consistently defeated them in the past decade and a half?

Like the Mara family in New York running the Giants for generations, the Rooneys are among the most powerful owners in the NFL. Patriots fans, if you want to direct your anger at who was really behind deflategate, direct it at the Steelers ownership group (and the other 30 owners who failed to stop this farce).

One of the biggest miscalculations early in the process by New England owner Robert Kraft was that he totally did not anticipate the total and complete lack of support by his fellow NFL owners. He expected a fair and reasonable investigation and got a witch hunt orchestrated by a powerful group of jealous billionaires.

Of course, Kraft’s lack of support for his fellow owners who had been in the same situation simply came back to bite him in the rear-end.

When Washington and Dallas were punished for circumventing a non-existent salary cap (how does one get punished for a salary cap violation in a season without a salary cap?). Roger Goodell and the NFL punished both franchises and Robert Kraft stood against those owners Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones and stood in support of Roger Goodell and the rest of the jealous owners.

Kraft was nowhere to be found supporting his fellow ownership group in New Orleans when a witch hunt investigation for the so-called “bountygate” resulted in massive suspensions, fines and discipline for the team coaches and players.

Where was Kraft with the support for his fellow owner of the Miami Dolphins during the Richie Incognito “bullygate” scandal? Kraft was standing in support with the rest of the jealous owners ganging-up on that franchise rather than actually having a legitimate investigation before any punishment.

That scandal decimated the Miami Dolphins it almost ruined the career of Richie Incognito and the other 31 owners of the NFL stood to the side and snickered and laughed with glee while that proud franchise was dragged through the mud and punished for an incident that the NFL could not prove even took place.

So why did Kraft--when he was the one facing discipline--expect the other owners to rally in support behind him? They were simply doing what they continuously had done along with Kraft ganging up on other owners in their little club of 32.

When the league owners turned against Robert Kraft those owners used their marionette Roger Goodell as their public face to carry out the discipline. Just as Kraft was complicit with the other scandals with these other NFL owners, the Rooney family, the Mara family, the Hunt family, and all these other powerful and proud franchises clearly wanted to take Kraft and his arrogant franchise down for having the audacity to have a winning team for almost two decades straight.

The Patriots as a franchise from the ownership down should have been aware of what was actually going on--and should have handled themselves with less indignation and more cooperation--and attacked the allegations head-on from day one. The thought of Robert Kraft expecting his fellow owners to stand behind him was a ridiculous and naive idea in retrospect.

So Patriots fans, Roger Goodell is not the enemy. Roger Goodell is the puppet. Roger Goodell should not fear for his safety in Foxboro or anywhere else in the NFL.

New England fans need to get rid of this misplaced anger at Goodell. Continuing to throw shade on Goodell only shows that the manipulation of you by the other powerful NFL owners is working. You are the fool. Don’t be manipulated. Don’t be the fool.

Getting angry at Roger Goodell for his statements and actions during deflategate is like getting angry at Kermit the Frog rather than the person moving him and speaking with his hand up the puppet’s rear-end.

Roger Goodell is the puppet. He is the shield for the shield of the NFL. Patriots fans need to direct their anger at the other owners. Show that you are not an easily manipulated tool.

Direct your anger at the Rooney family, at the Mara family, at the Hunt family, at Jerry Jones and the rest of the 31 owners in the NFL.

Monday, January 16, 2017

The New England Patriots beat a Houston Texans team who played one of their best defensive games of the season. The Patriots were not terrible on offense, but credit Houston for playing well. Unlike 2009, 2010, the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowls, and 2013, the New England defense stepped up and--other than a 12-yard touchdown drive--held Houston to a trio of field goals.
Moving on to a record sixth consecutive AFC Championship game, the Patriots welcome the Steelers to frigid Foxboro on Sunday. Before moving on to that game, here is one last look at what we learned from the Divisional Playoff round.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

The New England Patriots face a Houston Texans team who they beat 27-0 in week three with their third-string quarterback on a short week. Now the Patriots welcome the Texans to frigid Foxboro on Saturday night. To avoid an upset, the Patriots need to win the key matchups. MusketFire.com has all five key matchups on Saturday night

Friday, January 06, 2017

Get ready for the playoffs at Cover32.com with a look at the three teams in the AFC most likely to face the New England Patriots and visiting Foxboro in the NFL Divisional Playoff round. Get ready for the two teams New England will likely play (Houston or Oakland) and the team that will be a big surprise if they are facing the Patriots (Miami).

Sunday, January 01, 2017

The most in-depth game preview is at MusketFire.com and the Top 5 Match-ups to watch will give you everything need to know about the New England Patriots' in week 17 of the NFL season against the Miami Dolphins. Read on to find out if the Patriots can generate pressure against an improved Miami offensive line, what the plan is to stop running back Jay Ajayi, can the Dolphins defense slow down the three-headed threat at running back for the Patriots, and much, much more for the last game of the regular season with home-field advantage throughout playoffs on the line for the Patriots.